Counting mechanism



`Aug. 27, 1940.

COUNT ING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 2, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l? W Z7 E. WILD 2,212,870

l-lg. 27, 1940. E, WILD 2,212,870

COUNT ING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 2, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mi WM Sum/waag PatentedA Aug. 27,

UNITED VSTATES 2,212,870 coUNTlNG Mucmuvlsiuy Edward wila, Hartford, Conn., assigner to veeeer-Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 2, 1937, Serial No. 152,159 claims. (Cl. 235 144) This invention relates to registering mechanism for separately counting the numbers of items of various sorts. My improved counting mechanism has general application where it is 5 .desired to separately add and register the numbers of diierent kinds or sorts of items, pieces, etc., but as instances of uses to which the present invention may be applied, reference maybe had to the making up of payrolls in which instance it is necessary for the` clerk to determine and obtain from the bank the necessary numbers of pieces of money' of different denominations; and the taking of inventories where it is desired to determine how many of each 4of various articles 35 or pieces of merchandise, etc., are in stock.

The aim of the invention is to provide a count'- ing mechanism of this sort having various features of novelty and advantage and which is characterized by its simplicity, inexpensive'nesa 2o compactns, and its exibility and electiveness in operation.

More particularly, aims of the invention are to provide an improved counting mechanism havin@ a plurality of separable counter units which maybe connected together in aligned relation in any desired number; to provide a counting mechanism having a plurality of counter units in side by side relation and means operable to simultaneously reset all of the units to initial starting '3c position; to provide a counting mechanism of this sort with a totalizer unit wherein may be added all of th items registered Within the individual counter units, and to provide a counting mechanism wherein the units may be very easily assembled.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in thec i'eatures oi construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of partswhich will be exemplied in the constructionhereaftr set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

/ In the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are indicated by like numerals: f

Figure 1 shows a plan view of-a plurality of counter. units assembled in aligned relation;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through theassembly of the Asame and taken along the line 2- 0f Flai;

' Fig. 3 is a cross section of an individual counter unit, the same being taken through line 3-3 of Fis. 1:

Fig. 4 shows a cross section through the .totalizer unit taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section through the assembly, the same being taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is an end view showing a plurality of assembled mechanisms arranged in banked relation;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through line 'l-l of Fig. 2 and shows one of the locking clips which holds the counter wheels against movement longitudinally of the reset shaft carrying the same; and

Fig. 8 is a detail view of certain of the parts.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide an assembly which includes a plurality of individual or sub-counter. units C arranged in' aligned side by side relation. The number of such units in any given assembly will depend upon the use to which the mechanism is to be applied and, in use, each of the units may be assigned to a particular kind or sort of item, piece, denomination, etc., to be counted. For example, in determining the numbers of diierent kinds of bills and pieces oi .silver necessary to make up apayroll, the rst unit may be used for adding up the number of ve dollar bills necessary, the next unit one dollar bills, the next unit iiity-cent pieces, and so on. The assembly may also include a totalizing unit T arranged'in aligned relation with the individual lor sub-units and preferably at one end oi the line of such units. The counter units are positioned betweena pmi' of end brackets or plates ll Aand Il which are secured together by tie rods 2l) having their opposite ends received in opposed recesses ci the brackets and secured in place by screws 2i. iii desired, a plurality of assembled mechanisms may be arranged in banked relation als shown in Fig. 6. In this instance, three banks are illustrated, the same being secured to supports lo which have feet il. 'Ihese supports are suitably stepped as illustrated i'or locating the' banks or counters in conveniently operable positions.' The several banks are secured to the supports in ,any suitable manner, as by screws I8.

The individual counter units'C and the totalizer unit fI', which are mounted in side by side relation with the totalizer unit at one.end, are of generally similar construction with the exception that the totalizer unit does not have an operating key. Hence, these imits will be described together with. similar parts correspondingly numbered. Each unit has a frame or casing 22 provided with a base 22' having spaced bores 20' for receiving tie rods 20. The frames are each provided with spaced end walls 23 and 24 and an intermediate partition 25. -Each of the units has a correspondingly located rrset shaft 26 rotatably mounted at its ends in the walls 23 and 24, and

each shaft supports a plurality of rotatable disclosed in the patent to Slye No. 2,004,881 is` 1. sued June 11, 1935. v It is not necessary to illustrate this transfer mechanism since it does not 'comprise a novel part of the present invention. A iianged spacer sleeve 28 on the right-hand end of each shaft 26 (Figs. 2 and 8) is nonrotatably secured in position as by a pin 28' extending from wall 2li and slidably received within a slotted portion in the an'ge 28". For the purpose of preventing accidental withdrawal of the reset shaft from the casing and retaining 95 the counter wheels and the spacer sleeve 28 in proper relation to one another and against longitudinal movement relative to the reset shaft, clips 30 are provided. These clips are respectively located at the right-hand end of the sleeve 30 28 and at the vleft-hand end of the counter wheel of highest order. The clips, as shown most clearly in Fig. 7, Aareiiat, thin strips of metal suitably bifurcated to provide arms 30. The reset shaft has annular grooves 30" in .which these arms engage. These clips are so located with respect to the casing walls adjacent thereto that a slight end play of each reset shaft is permitted for purposes to be later described.

When the several counter units are properly assembled in side by side relation, the several reset shafts are in alignment with one another and each shaft is connected with the next preceding one by a driving connection so that the several shafts form a composite sectional reset shaft common to al1 of the units. In the present illustrative disclosure, the driving connection between the adjacent reset shafts ,is in the form of a tongue and groove. In the present instance.

the left-hand ends of the resetshafts, as viewed in Fig. 2,'project outwardly through the end casing walls 23 and have tapered V-shaped tongues 3| provided with at surfaces. The right-hand end of each of the reset shafts, with the exception of the shaft of the extreme righthand unit (be that unit an individual counter or a'totalizer), is provided with a correspondingly V-shaped groove 3|' adapted to matingly receive the tongue of the next preceding shaft. The grooves 3i are tapered correspondingly to 00 the tongue portions 3| which they receive so that a tight intertting driving relation may exist Y without lost motion between adjacent resetI .24 of that unit, and bearing against thiselit'l` 75 of that. shaft is a spring pressed plunger 32 whereby the reset shafts are urged towards the left as viewed in Fig. 2. The plunger is located in the bore of a. bearing portion 33 of the end bracket or plate I1. It has a flanged or enlarged head 34 engaging in a counterbore 33' of the 5 bearing. This head is engageable with a. shoulder 34' to limit the movement of the'plu'ngerl towards the right, 'as viewed in Fig. 2. A coiled spring 35 surrounds the stem of the plunger and is compressibly engaged between the head 34 of l0 vthe plunger and a shoulder 35'- adjacent the closed end of the bore. In some instances, it may -be desirable to omitA the totalizer unit, in which case theright-hand end of the reset shaft of the last individual counter unit projects bel5 yond the wall 24 of that unit and engages the spring pressed plunger 32 in the same manner .as does the reset -shaft of the totalizer unit,

shown in the drawings.

-Each reset shaft has a longitudinally extend- 20 ing groove 26' engageable with pawls on the respective numeralwheels mounted thereon, as disclosed in the previously mentioned patent to Slye No. 2,004,881, so that a single complete rota.-

tion' of the composite reset shaft in a resetting 25 direction will cause a resetting operation to beperformed on all of the numeral wheels'and return them to initial starting or zero positions. For the purpose of turning the reset shaft to perform the resetting operation, there is jour- 30 naled in one of the end brackets (in the present instance in the left-hand bracket I6) a reset operating shaft 36 having a knob 31. The reset operating shaft is `iournaled for endwisefmovement in the bearing. portion |6 of the bracket I6. The inner end of the shaft 36 terminates in a head'36 journaled in a counterbore 31 and engageable with a shoulder portion of the bearing to limit the movement of the shaft away from the counter units. A coiled, spring 38 sur- 40 rounding this shaft 3,25 is compressed between the head 3B' and the shoulder 38. 'I'he head 36' has a V-shaped groove 39 corresponding in shape to the grooves 3|' and matingly receives the projecting tongue 3| of the reset shaft of 45 the first counter unit.

It will be observed that with the arrangement described, any suitable desired number of counter units may be assembled and secured together.

Theunits are assembled with their reset shafts |501 bracketsaresecured together by the rods 20 and y 56 the screws 2|. The units are supported on these rods and -are clamped between the end brackets I6 and I1 so that a rigid assembly is had. If desired, thin spacer washers 15 may be posi- `tioned about the rods between the casings and ou between the end'casings and the brackets. `It will further be observed that the springs 35 and -38 cooperatively urge the reset shafts into driving relationship, and the lreset operating shaft Y 36 into driving relationship with the reset shaft 66 of the rst unit. This results in a ltight interfltting driving relationship .between all of the reset shafts and the operating shaft 36 irrespective of the number of counter units employed, and a rotation of thereset knob 31.will serve to simultaneously cause a corresponding rota- Ition of all of the reset shafts of the unit without any lost motion between said shafts.

. As previously stated, the clips 30 are'so located on the reset shafts that these shafts may have a slight longitudinal floating movement. This end play of the reset shafts permits sub" iicient shaft movement so that the tongueSand grooves'may enter into tight interiitting driving relation, and this relation is maintained at all the resetting operation the shafts operate as if they were one integral shaft. Thus, lost motion,

which mayotherwise exist between the shafts, is prevented. It may be stated that if there were any lost motion between the successive reset shafts, it is possible that the counter wheelsl of the several units would not properly be reset to zero when the operating knob is turned through one complete rotation andthis would result in inaccurate subseqentyregistrations. If any -lost motion existed between the reset shafts, it would be accumulative so that the wheels of the last unit would not be reset to thesame extent as those of the first unit, With my improved arrangement, these dinlculties are' entirely avoided in a very simple and eilective manner. It is, of course, clear that, if desired, the totalizer unit, where such unit is employed, maybe reset independently of the individual counter units.

Each of the individual counter units isv individually operated by a key lever '40' extending through a slot in the cover 16 and pivotally supported between its ends on a pin 4I-mounted in. the wall 24 and the partition 25. The outer ends of these levers may be provided with buttons or keys K. The inner end of each lever terminates in a gear segment 40 and is normally rocked downwardly against a locating shoulder 40" on the casing by a torsion spring 42' wound about the pin 4|. An escapement lever pivoted on a shaft 44 supported by the wall 24 and the partition 25 'has a gear segment 44' meshing-with the segment The escapement leverhas a camnormal position, the camming pawl 4S is posiming pawl d8 engageable with a pawl plate 5l forminga driving member associated with the numeral wheel of lowest order. The pawl plate 4l is ratchet connected to the .count wheel or lowest order sor' that the wheels may be' reset without imparting rotation to the pawl plate. The ratchet connection may be the same as shown in the previously noted Slye Patent No. 2,004,881 The pawl platehas peripherally spaced, laterallyl extending lugs 41' and interposed grooves 4l" arranged to receive the pawl 6B during each cycle of Amovement of the escapement lever 43 whereby a rotary indexing movement is imparted to the count wheel of lowest order. The driving connection between thekeylever and the counter lwheei of lowest order is a well-known one and need not further .be .described except that it may. be noted that upon each operat on, of the key lever the wheel of lowest orderindexed in two steps, and when -the key lever is irrite normal position, the pawl plate and camcooperate to hold the counter wheel of lowest order against accidental rotation. It will be observed from Figs. 3 and 44that when the ,key lever is Ain its tioned between adjacent lugs 41'. It is, o# course" The totalizer unit is operated in the same gen eral manner'as kare the individual counter imite,

but in the case of the totalizer a return lever a y is used instead of the key lever 40. This returnV lever 40a is operated in the manner later de- 'I scribed. ,As the connecting parts between the A actuation of each individual unit is transferred i-'l tothe count wheels of the totalizer unit without aifecting the other individual units. In this present instance, this drive arrangement includes a drive shaft extending through each of the counter units C and through the totalizer and "-0 journaled in their respective end walls. Pawls 50 are respectively keyed to shaft 50 adjacent each of the levers 43 associated with the sub-counter units, and projecting fingers 50 on these pawls are located beneath laterally projecting studs 43' .5

. on levers 43` so that an individual downward movement of any of the levers 43 in response to a depression of a corresponding key lever 40 results in a partial counter-clockwise rotation of shaft 50, as viewed in Fig. 3. A pawl 5| which 30 vmay be a duplicate of pawl 50'- is mounted on shaft 50 in the totalizer and in reversed relation to pawls 50' so that anger 5| associated therewith overlies a stud 43 laterally projecting from lever 43 of the totalizer." The fingers Eli" and r1.1

5i' are so`located that they normally contact with their respective studs 43' and 43". Hence, a depression of any one of the keys results in a corresponding movementof the pawl 46 asso ciated with said key and the pawl 4G of the i0 y totalizer, thus simultaneously operating the counter wheels of lowest order in the counter unit being operated and in the totalizer.y It will thus be seen that each time Yany one of the in= dividual units is operated to add a count, the i5 totalizer is simultaneousiy operated to add a," count, and, therefore, the totalizer will indicate the grand total oi all the counts entered in all of the sub-counter units. The spring 42 in the totalizer acts through return lever Bilo to shift l,totalizer lever 43ste itsinitial position of Fig. i

so that stud d3 acts on iinger di to return shaft El! and pawls 50" to their starting positions after Aa key K is released.

- As many changes could be' made in the above ia construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the above -descriptionor'sh'own in the accompanying draw- Gli ings shall be interpreted as in a limiting sense. i.

illustrative and not It is also to be understoodthat the language used in the following claims is intended'to cover allofthe generic and specic features of the G5 invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which', as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

i vclaim as my invention:

units in said relation, each unit including a casafreset shaft journaled therein, and. counter wheels'zfsupported by said reset shaft; a reset /7 1. In a counting mechanism, a plurality of similar separable counter umts arranged in side 'by aide relation; means for securing said counter operating shaft aligned with .said reset shafts and located at one end of the line of units, detachable driving connections between the. adjacent l ends of adjacent shafts, and spring means urging said shafts longitudinally into tight driving relation with one another whereby lost motion is avoided when the reset shafts are turned by said operating shaft.

2. In a counting mechanism, a plurality of similar separable counter units arranged in side by side relation; means for securing said counter units in said relation, each unit including a casing, 'a reset shaft journaled in the casing, and

counter wheels supported by said shaft; the' adjacent ends of adjacent shafts respectively having a tapered groove and a tapered tongue fitting in the groove whereby adjacent shafts are connected in driving relation-to one another, a reset operating shaft aligned with said reset shafts and having a likeftongue and groove connection with the reset shaft adjacent thereto, and

` spring means normally urging said shafts longinection withthe reset shaft of the iirst unit, and spring means for, urging said shafts longitudinally towards one another so as to prevent lost motion in the driving connections.

4. In a counting mechanism, a .pair of spaced t brackets, tie rods secured at their ends to said brackets, a plurality of counter units mounted in aligned side by side relation on said rods and clamped between the brackets, correspondingly located reset shafts in said counter units, each of said shafts having at its opposite ends tongue and grooved portions adapted to be received in mating driving relation withv a corresponding portion of an adjacent shaft, a spring pressed member in one of said brackets engageable with the end of a reset shaft, and a spring pressed manually operable member journaled in the other bracket and engaged in driving relation withl another of said reset shafts..

5. In a counting mechanism, a pair of spaced brackets, a plurality of counter units mounted in side by side relation between said brackets, each of said counter units including a reset shaft,

connections on said shafts f or interengaging an adjacent shaft in driving relation when said units areassembled, a reset operating shaft carried by one of said brackets and having interengagingv drivingrelation with the reset shaft of the unit adjacent thereto when the units are assembled, and means rigidly connecting said brackets together and aligning said reset shafts and said reset operating shaft in cooperative engagement.

EDWARD WILD. 35 

